AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15955, 24 December 1913, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

KING'S THEATRE. The King's Theatre was packed lust night, when the artists who made their debut before a Dunedin audience on Monday evening and others hotter known provided a fund of entertainment for a couple of hours. That the audience was well pleased was demonstrated by the generous applause meted out to the different artists at the conclusion of their turns. The same company will appear again to-night. lIAYWARD'S PICTURES. There was a capital attendance at '* The Octagon" last evening, when the current programme was repeated to an admiring audience. The gyrations and thrilling curves of famous aviatom were watchcil with. breathless interest, and the dramas, comedies, and other items were equally entertaining. The same programme will be shown this evening. FULLERS' PICTURES. The programme now being shown at the Princess Tneutrc is a particularly good one; It was well received last night by a very large house, and is sure to attract another b,g attendance to-night. J-'o-morrow afternoon and evening a special Ch'ristmas progromume will be submitted. Ail tiie pictures will be new, and all will bo appropriate to the occasion. Included ill the list are the following:—-"Christmas, from the Birth of Christ to the Present Century," "The Battle hymn of the liepublic," " A Daughter's &icriiice," and a splendid supporting programme. A feature of the entertainment will be the special music by the orchestra, conducted by Mr Frank Martinelli. Among the numbers to be given will bo "Kyric in Gloria," from Mozart's ••Twelfth Mass," "The Halleiuja.i Chorus," Rubinstein's Melctly in 1' There will bo a matinee »v 2.30, and the same programme will be screened at 8 p.m. Seats may be reserved at the Dresden. QUEEN'S THEATRE. "Skipper" Francis and his iilm, illustrating his teat of swimming the Bristol Channel, was the most attractive subject at tiie Queen's Theatre last night. " Skipper *' Jirancis, or, as he is more generally known, "The Cripple Athletic Champion,'' has a record of which any man might feel proud, and his description of his accomplishment of swimming the Bristol Channel, a distance of 15 miles, in 4 hours 32 minutes, ifi most interesting. "Skipper" Francis was crippled when a child of two years, but notWithstanding his infirmity he lias excelled at swimming, cycling, running, wrestling, football,' and polo. The supporting films are of an interesting character. PLAZA PICTURES. Judging by the large attendance ( at the new picture palace yesterday afternoon and again last evening, it is evident that the Plaza. Pictures arc becoming very popular. The large auditorium was tilled last night, and those present manifested real pleasure with the new programme presented. The star film, " Bloodhounds of the Law," provided a succession of thrills. Discharged from the railway company's employ for his drinking habits,' young Field has the good luck to succour a bank president who is being attacked by highwaymen. Field is given a position of trust by_the banker, who subsequently linds that Field is robbing the safe. A watch is 6et, and the banker employs May Ryan, a female detective to trap Field. The" latter cscapes on a railway engine, and is followed by the woman on another engine. Field jumps from his engine to escape, but May Ryan also jumps, and manages to handcuff her wrist to Field's before she swoons away. Meanwhile, other defectives are chasing the fugitive in !L motor car.' The ear is wrecked, but the occupants arrive in time to prevent Field from breaking away from his raptor. "An Indian's Gratitude" is a stirring and wellacted frontier drama of the usual scalping and fightiiig type, the Eclair Journal pro-

: vides some excellent topical views in various I lands, and the comics are mirth-provoking to a degree. The programme should draw large houses during its run. BOXING NIGHT. At His Majesty's Theatre on Boxing Night u particularly strong programme has been arranged for the entertainment of theatre-goers by Messrs Brennan-Fuller (Ltd.) and John Fuller and Sons. A very choice selection of artiste and items has been made, and amusement-seekers can look forward with pleasurable anticipation to a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Every effort has been made by the management to make tho performance one worthy of the occasion. The cream of the vaudeville stage and the very latest moving pictures have been chosen to make up a programme that will be well worth seeing. The box plan is now open at the Dresden. ,MR JOHN M'C'ORMACK. The box plan for Mr John M'Gormack's concerts to be given here on Monday and . Wednesday evening next in His Majesty's Theatre is now open at the Dresden, where a large demand for seats has already.been made. Tho news of Mr M'Gormack's phenomenal successes in Australia has already reached Dunedin. and music lovers are waiting tho advent of the famous tenor and his concert party, consisting of Miss May Huxley (soprano) and Mr Donald M'Beath (violinist). In Sydney, where Mr M'C'ormack gave no less than 14- concerts, the police had to bo called to control tho enormous crowds that congregated at the Town Hall, and on each occasion the huge auxiliary was packed long before the advertised time for the commencement of the concert. Mr M'C'ormack is a polyglot tenor —or, in other words, he is able to sing in five languages. While _in this part of the world two years ago with the Melba Opera Company, lie was heard in Italian and French on the operatic During his rrcent very successful American concert tour the tenor's ''gift of tongues" was shown at a concert at the Princeton Univers'ty. on which occasion he sang in English, Italian, French, German, and Gaelic, and he was complimented on his Italian by Signor Caruso. Apart from his smging, the distinguished tenor is a capital pianist, and , also plays the violin and the flute, ,We would advise such intending patrons as have not already secured their seats to do so immediately, thereby avoiding the disappointment which has fallen to many wherever i Mr M'C'ormack has sung through their inability to secure scats.